Universal conduction cooling platform

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an embodiment of a module for insertion between a first shelf and a second shelf of a rack based processing system. The module includes a first thermal plate substantially parallel to a second thermal plate. An inner surface of the first thermal plate faces an inner surface of the second plate and an outer surface of each of the first and second thermal plates faces opposite to the respective inner surfaces. Each thermal plate is configured to thermally couple to one or more component units locatable between the inner surfaces of the first and second thermal plates.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to application Ser. Nos. ______, ______,______, ______, ______, each filed ______, and incorporated herein byreference in their entirety

FIELD

This application relates to embodiments pertaining to rack mountedcomputer system, and in particular, a conduction cooling platform.

BACKGROUND

Current standard rack configurations are measured in rack-units (RUs).For example, a blade server may have a rack unit measuring 19 incheswide and having a pitch of 1.75 inches in height. A common computer rackform-factor is 42 RU high, which is a factor in limiting the density ornumber of components directly mountable into a rack. Higher densitycomponent systems are desirable since they require less space per rackenclosure and ultimately less space within the building housing theenclosures. Often these buildings must include high price highmaintenance false floors to accommodate the mass of cabling and thedelivery of chilled air and power to the enclosures. Another factor indetermining component density is the pitch of the rack unit as oftenlimited by the space required for component heat sinks and associatedcooling components (e.g., fans).

Of particular concern is the cooling of the rack's components. Duringoperation, the electrical components produce heat, which a system mustdisplace to ensure the proper functioning of its components. In additionto maintaining normative function, various cooling methods, such asliquid or air cooling, are used to either achieve greater processorperformance (e.g., overclocking), or to reduce the noise pollutioncaused by typical cooling methods (e.g., cooling fans and heat sinks). Afrequently underestimated problem when designing high-performancecomputer systems is the discrepancy between the amount of heat a systemgenerates, particularly in high performance and high density enclosures,and the ability of its cooling system to remove the heat uniformlythroughout the rack enclosure.

SUMMARY

In an example embodiment, a module for insertion between a first shelfand a second shelf of a rack based processing system is provided. Themodule includes a first thermal plate substantially parallel to a secondthermal plate. An inner surface of the first thermal plate faces aninner surface of the second plate and an outer surface of each of thefirst and second thermal plates faces opposite to the respective innersurfaces. Each thermal plate is configured to thermally couple to one ormore component units locatable between the inner surfaces of the firstand second thermal plates.

In another example embodiment, a conduction cooling apparatus for a rackbased processing system is provided. The apparatus includes a frame, aplurality of shelves, a plurality of bays and a module unit. The frameincludes a module insertion area on a first side of the rack. Theplurality of shelves are positioned within the frame and coupled to acoolant source. Each shelf has a first surface and a second surface andis configured to permit coolant flow between the first and secondsurfaces. Among the plurality of shelves, each is positionedsubstantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular toa plane of the first side of the rack. In the plurality of bays, eachbay defined by a volume of space between adjacent ones of the pluralityof shelves. The module unit is configured to be inserted into a bay ofthe plurality of bays. The module unit includes a first thermal platesubstantially parallel to a second thermal plate. An inner surface ofthe first thermal plate faces an inner surface of the second plate andan outer surface of each of the first and second thermal plates facesopposite to the respective inner surfaces. Each thermal plate isconfigured to thermally couple to one or more component units locatablebetween the inner surfaces of each thermal plate.

In another exemplary embodiment, a method of cooling one or morecomponent units in a frame of a rack based processing system isprovided. The method includes providing coolant to a plurality ofshelves coupled within the frame and cooling the one or more componentunits coupled to a module unit inserted between a first shelf and asecond shelf. Each shelf includes a first surface and a second surfacehaving coolant flowing therebetween. Each module unit includes a firstplate substantially parallel to a second plate. Each module alsoincludes one or more component units locatable between each parallelplate providing a thermal coupling of the one or more component units toat least one of the first shelf and the second shelf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a rack system including a cooleduniversal hardware platform;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of the side of the rack system and thecooled universal hardware platform, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a rack system and specifically the rear portion andthe open side of the rack and the cooled universal hardware platformaccording to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a cooled partition found within therack system;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of several cooled partitions making upthe module bays as viewed outside of the rack system;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate embodiments of a module fixture that includescircuit cards and components that make up a functional module in aservice unit;

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate embodiments of the module fixture from a sideview in a compressed and uncompressed state respectively;

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate embodiments of a module fixture for a rackpower board insertable into the rack power section of the rack systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12, which includes FIGS. 12A and 12B, shows an example of a thermalplate that includes a frame and a heat exchanger insert according to anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 13, which includes FIGS. 13A and 13B, shows an example of a thermalplate having a frame including multiple insert receptacles forsupporting a corresponding number of heat exchanger inserts according toan exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of using airflow for cooling according toan exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described withreference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident thatvarious modifications and changes may be made to these embodimentswithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an architecturefor a scalable modular data system. In this regard, embodiments of thepresent invention relate to a rack system (e.g., rack system 10) thatmay contain a plurality of service units or modules. The rack systemdescribed herein provides physical support, power, and cooling for theservice units or modules contained therein. The rack system alsoprovides a set of interfaces for the service units or modules includingmechanical, thermal, electrical, and communication protocolspecifications. Moreover, the rack system described herein may be easilynetworked with a plurality of instances of other rack systems to createthe highly scalable modular architecture referenced above.

Each service unit or, module that may be housed in the rack systemprovides some combination of processing, storage, and communicationcapacity enabling the service units to provide functional support forvarious computing, data processing and storage activities (e.g., asservers, storage arrays, network switches, etc.). However, embodimentsof the present invention provide a mechanical structure for the racksystem and the service units or modules that provides for efficient heatremoval from the service units or modules in a compact design. Thus, theamount of processing capability that can be provided for a given amountof energy consumption may be increased.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a rack system 10. Rack system 10includes a rack power section 19 and a universal hardware platform 21.The universal hardware platform 21 includes a universal backplanemounting area 14. The rack system 10 has a perimeter frame 12 having aheight ‘H’ width ‘W’ and depth ‘D.’ In one embodiment, the perimeterframe 12 includes structural members around the perimeter of the racksystem 10 and is otherwise open on each vertical face. In otherembodiments some or all of the rack's faces or planes may be enclosed,as illustrated by rack top 16.

The front side of the rack, rack front 18, may include a multitude ofcooled partitions substantially parallel to each other and at variouspitches, such as pitch 22 (P), where the pitch may be equal to thedistance between the first surface of one cooled partition to the secondsurface of an adjacent cooled partition. The area or volume between eachpartition defines a module bay, such as module bay 24 or module bay 26.Each module bay may have a different size based on their respectivepitches, such as pitch 22 corresponding to module bay 26 and pitch 23corresponding to module bay 24. It can be appreciated that the pitch maybe determined any number of ways, such as between the mid lines of eachpartition or between the inner surfaces of two consecutive partitions.In one embodiment, the pitch 22 is a standard unit of height, such as0.75 inches, and variations of the pitch, such as pitch 23, may be amultiple of the pitch 23. For example, pitch 23 is two times the pitch22, where pitch 22 is the minimum pitch based on module or other designconstraints.

The rack system 10, and specifically the universal hardware platform 21,may be configured to include a multitude of service units. Each serviceunit may provide a combination of data processing capacity, data storagecapacity, and data communication capacity. In one embodiment the racksystem 10 provides physical support, power, and cooling for each serviceunit that it contains. A service unit and its corresponding service unitbackplane correspond to a rack unit model. The rack unit model defines aset of interfaces for the service unit, which include mechanical,thermal, electrical, and communication-protocol specifications. Thus,any service unit that conforms to the interfaces defined by a particularrack unit model may be installed and operated in a rack system thatincludes the corresponding service unit backplane. For example, theservice unit backplane mounts vertically to the universal backplanemounting area 14 and provides the connections according to the rack unitmodel for all of the modules that perform the functions of the serviceunit.

Cluster unit 28 is an example of a service unit configured to provideprocessing and switching functions to sixteen data nodes. In thisembodiment, the cluster unit 28 spans over three module bays, modulebays 30, and includes eight processing modules and a cluster switch.Specifically, the cluster unit 28 includes the four processing modules32 (PM1-PM4) in the first module bay, a cluster switch 34 (CS1) in thesecond module bay, and the remaining processing modules 36 (PM5-PM8) inthe third module bay.

Each of these modules may slide into their respective slots with themodule bay and connect into a service unit backplane, such as clusterunit backplane 38. The cluster unit backplane 38 may be fastened to theperimeter frame 12 in the universal backplane mounting area 14. Thecombination of the cluster switch 34 and the cluster unit backplane 38in this embodiment has the advantage of signal symmetry, where thesignal paths of the processing modules 32 and 36 are equidistant to thecluster switch 34.

In one embodiment, the cluster switch 34 has 8 network lines exiting outof the front of the cluster switch 34 at a forty-five degree angletoward each side of the rack front 18, see for example network lines 37.For simplicity, only one cluster switch (e.g., cluster switch 34) isshown, however it can be appreciated that a multitude of clusterswitches may be included in the rack system 10. Thus, the network linesfor every installed cluster switch may run up the perimeter frame 12 andexit the rack top 16 in a bundle, as illustrated by net 52.

In various embodiments, some or all of the service units, such as thecluster unit 28 including the processing modules 32 and the clusterswitch 34, are an upward-compatible enhancement of mainstreamindustry-standard high performance computing (HPC)-cluster architecture,with x86_(—)64 instruction set architecture (ISA) and standardInfiniband networking interconnects. This enables one hundred percentcompatibility with existing system and application software used inmainstream HPC cluster systems and is immediately useful to end-usersupon product introduction, without extensive software development orporting. Thus, implementation of these embodiments includes usingcommercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware and firmware whenever possible,and does not include any chip development or require the development ofcomplex system and application software. As a result, these embodimentsdramatically reduce the complexity and risk of the development effort,improve energy efficiency, and provide a platform to enable applicationdevelopment for concurrency between simulation and visualizationcomputing to thereby reducing data-movement bottlenecks. The efficiencyof the architecture of the embodiments applies equally to all classes ofscalable computing facilities, including traditionalenterprise-datacenter server farms, cloud/utility computinginstallations, and HPC clusters. This broad applicability maximizes theability for significant improvements in energy and environmentalefficiency of computing infrastructures. However, it should be notedthat custom circuit and chip designs could also be used in the disclosedrack system design, but would not likely be as cost effective as usingCOTS components.

Returning to the discussion of FIG. 1, the cluster unit backplane 38 maybe a single circuit board with connectors corresponding to theircounterpart connectors on each module of the cluster unit 28, and thecluster unit backplane 38 may have a height of approximately the heightof the (three) module bays 30. In other embodiments, the cluster unitbackplane 38 may be composed of two or more circuit boards withcorresponding connectors, or the cluster unit backplane 38 may be singlecircuit board that supports two or more cluster units (e.g., clusterunit 28) over a multitude of module bays.

The optional rack power section 19 of the rack system 10 may includerack power and management unit 40 composed of two rack managementmodules 44 and a plurality of rack power modules 46 (e.g., RP01-RP16).In another embodiment, the rack management modules 44 and acorresponding rack management backplane (not shown) may be independentof the rack power unit 40 and may be included in the universal hardwareplatform 21. In one embodiment, there may be two modules per module bay,such as the two rack power modules in module bay 24 and the two rackmanagement modules 44 in module bay 26.

The rack management modules 44 may provide network connectivity to everymodule installed in the rack system 10. This includes every moduleinstalled in the universal hardware platform 21 and every module of therack power section 19. Management cabling 45 provides connectivity fromthe rack management modules 44 to devices external to the rack system10, such as networked workstation or control panel (not shown). Thisconnectivity may provide valuable diagnostic and failure data from therack system 10 and in some embodiments provide an ability to controlvarious service units and modules within the rack system 10.

As with the backplane boards of the universal hardware platform 21, theback plane area corresponding to the rack power section 19 may beutilized to fasten one or more backplane boards. In one embodiment, arack power and management backplane 42 is a single backplane board withconnectors corresponding to their counterpart connectors on each of therack management modules 44 and the rack power modules 46 of the rackpower and management unit 40. The rack power and management backplane 42may then have a height of approximately the height of the collectivemodule bays corresponding to the rack power and management unit 40. Inother embodiments, the rack power and management backplane 42 may becomposed of two or more circuit boards with corresponding connectors.

In one embodiment, the rack power modules 46 are connected to the powerinlet 48 (See e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3), which may be configured to receivethree-phase alternating current (AC) power from a source external to therack system 10. The rack power modules 46 convert the three-phase ACinto direct current (DC). For example, the rack power modules 46 mayconvert a 480 volt three-phase AC input to 380 volt DC for distributionin the rack system 10. In one embodiment, the DC voltage from the rackpower modules 46 is connected to power bus 67 (See e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3)running down from the rack power and management backplane 42 to otherservice unit backplanes, such as the cluster unit backplane 38.

The rack system 10 may include a coolant system having a coolant inlet49 and coolant outlet 50. The coolant inlet 49 and the coolant outlet 50are connected to piping running down through each partition's coolantdistribution nodes (e.g., coolant distribution node 54) to provide thecoolant into and out of the cooled partitions. For example, coolant(refrigerant R-134a) flows into the coolant inlet 49, through a set ofvertically spaced, 0.1 inch thick horizontal cooled partitions(discussed below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4) and out of the coolantoutlet 50. The coolant may be provided, for example, from a buildingchiller unit. As discussed above, the space between each pair ofadjacent cooled partitions is a module bay. Waste heat is transferredvia conduction, first from the components within each module (e.g.,processing modules 32) to the module's top and bottom surfaces, and thento the cooled partitions at the top and bottom of the module bay (e.g.,module bays 30). Other coolant distribution methods and hardware mayalso be used without departing from the scope of the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

Thus, embodiments of the rack system 10 including one or all of thecompact features based on modularity, cooling, power, pitch height,processing, storage and networking provide, among others, energyefficiency in system manufacturing, energy efficiency in systemoperation, cost efficiency in system manufacturing and installation,cost efficiency in system maintenance, space efficiency of systeminstallations, and environmental impact efficiency throughout the systemlifecycle.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of the side of the rack system 10,according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the rack power section 19 andthe universal hardware platform 21 as seen form an open side and rearperspective of the rack system 10. The three module bays of the modulebays 30 are made up of four cooled partitions, cooled partitions 20 ₁,20 ₂, 20 ₃, and 20 ₄. Each module bay includes two partitions, in thisembodiment an upper and a lower partition. For example, module bay 65 isthe middle module bay of the three module bays, module bays 30, and hascooled partition 20 ₂ as the lower cooled partition and 20 ₃ as theupper cooled partition. As will be discussed in further detail below,functional modules may be inserted into module bays, such as module bay65, and thermally couple to the cooled partitions to cool the modulesduring operation.

The coolant distribution node 54 is illustrated on cooled partition 20₄, and in this embodiment, is connected to the coolant distributionnodes of other cooled partitions throughout the rack via coolant pipe 61running up the height of the rack and to the coolant outlet 50.Similarly, coolant pipe 63 (See e.g., FIG. 5) is connected to theopposite end of each of the cooled partitions at a second coolantdistribution node and the coolant inlet 49.

The perimeter frame 12 of the rack system 10 may include a backplanemounting surface 62 where the service unit backplanes are attached tothe perimeter frame 12, such as the cluster unit backplanes 38 and 43 ofthe universal hardware platform 21, and the rack power and managementbackplane 42 of the rack power section 19. In various embodiments, thebackplane mounting surface 62 may include mounting structures thatconform to a multiple of a standard pitch size (P), such as pitch 22shown in FIG. 1. The mounting structures on the surface of the serviceunit backplanes as well as the backplanes themselves may be configuredto also conform with the standard pitch size. For example, the clusterunit backplane 38 may have a height of approximately the height ofmodule bays 30 corresponding to a pitch of 3 P, and accordingly thestructures of the backplane mounting surface 62 are configured to alignwith the mounting structures of the cluster unit backplane 38.

In various embodiments, the mounting structures for the backplanemounting surface 62 and the service units (e.g., cluster unit 28) may bemagnetic, rails, indentations, protrusions, bolts, screws, or uniformlydistributed holes that may be threaded or configured for a fastener(e.g., bolt, pin, etc.) to slide through, attach or snap into.Embodiments incorporating the mounting structures set to a multiple ofthe pitch size have the flexibility to include a multitude of backplanescorresponding to various functional types of service units that may beinstalled into the module bays of the universal hardware platform 21 ofthe rack system 10.

When mounted, the service unit backplanes provide a platform for theconnectors of the modules (e.g., processing modules 36 of service unit28) to couple with connectors of the service unit backplane, such as theconnectors 64 and 66 of the cluster unit backplane 38 and the connectorsassociated with the modules of cluster unit 28 described above. Theconnectors are not limited to any type and may be, for example, an edgeconnector, pin connector, optical connector, or any connector type orequivalent in the art. Because multiple modules may be installed into asingle module bay, the cooled partitions may include removable,adjustable or permanently fixed guides (e.g., flat brackets or rails) toassist with the proper alignment of the modules with the connectors ofthe backplane upon module insertion. In another embodiment, a module andbackplane may include a guide pin and corresponding hole (not shown),respectively, to assist in module alignment.

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of rack system 10 illustrating the rear portionand the open side of the rack. As shown, FIG. 3 only represents aportion of the entire rack system 10, and specifically, only portions ofthe rack power section 19 and the universal hardware platform 21. Thisembodiment illustrates the power inlet 48 coupled to a power bus 67 viathe rack power and management backplane 42, which as previouslymentioned may convert AC power from the power inlet 48 to DC power fordistribution to the service units via the service unit backplanes of theuniversal hardware platform 21.

In one embodiment, the power bus 67 includes two solid conductors; anegative or ground lead and a positive voltage lead connected to therack power and management backplane 42 as shown. The power bus 67 may berigidly fixed to the rack power and management backplane 42 or may onlymake electrical connection but be rigidly fixed to the backplanes asneeded, such as the cluster unit backplanes 38 and 43. In anotherembodiment where DC power is supplied directly to the power inlet 48,the power bus 67 may be insulated and rigidly fixed to the rack system10. Regardless of the embodiment, the power bus 67 is configured toprovide power to any functional type of backplane mounted in theuniversal hardware platform 21. The conductors of the power bus 67 maybe electrically connected to the service unit backplanes by variousconnector types. For example, the power bus 67 may be a metallic barwhich may connect to each backplane using a bolt and a clamp, such as aD-clamp.

FIG. 3 also illustrates another view of the cooled partitions of therack system 10. This embodiment shows the coolant distribution node 54that is part of the cooled partitions shown, such as the cooledpartitions 20 ₁, 20 ₂, 20 ₃, and 20 ₄ of module bays 30, and also showsa side view of the middle module bay, module bay 65. As discussed above,the coolant distribution node 54 may be connected to the coolantdistribution nodes of the other cooled partitions via coolant pipes 61and 63 (see e.g., FIGS. 2 and 5) running up the rack and to the coolantinlet 49 and the coolant outlet 50.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a cooled partition 59. The cooled partition59 includes coolant distribution nodes 54 ₁ and 54 ₂, which areconnected to the coolant inlet 49 and the coolant outlet 50,respectively. The cooled partition 59 internally includes channels (notshown) that facilitate coolant flow between each coolant distributionnode 54 ₁ and 54 ₂ to cool each side of the cooled partition 59. Theinternal channels may be configured in any suitable way known in theart, such as a maze of veins composed of flattened tubing, etc. Thecoolant distribution nodes 54 ₁ and 54 ₂ may include additionalstructures to limit or equalize the rate and distribution of coolantflow along the each axis of the coolant distribution node and throughthe cooled partition. Additionally, the coolant inlet 49 and the coolantoutlet 50 may be caddy-corner or diagonal to each other depending on therack design and the channel design through the cooled partition 59.

In another embodiment, the cooled partition 59 may be divided into twoportions, partition portion 55 and partition portion 57. Partitionportion 57 includes existing coolant inlet 49 and coolant outlet 50.However, the partition portion 55 includes its own coolant outlet 51 andcoolant inlet 53. The partition portions 55 and 57 may be independent ofeach other and have their own coolant flow from inlet to outlet. Forexample, the coolant flow may enter into coolant inlet 49 of partitionportion 57, work its way through cooling channels and out o the coolantoutlet 50. Similarly, coolant flow may enter coolant inlet 53 ofpartition portion 55, through its internal cooling channels and out ofcoolant outlet 51. In another embodiment, the coolant inlet 49 and thecoolant inlet 53 may be on the same side of the partition portion 55 andthe partition portion 57, respectively. Having the coolant inlets andoutlets on opposite corners may have beneficial cooling characteristicsin having a more balanced heat dissipation throughout the cooledpartition 59.

In another embodiment, the partition portions 55 and 57 are connectedsuch that coolant may flow from one partition portion to the next eitherthrough one or both of the coolant distribution nodes 54 ₁ and 54 ₂ andthrough each partition portions' cooling channels. In this embodiment,based on known coolant flow characteristics, it may be more beneficialto have the coolant inlet 49 and the coolant inlet 53 on the same sideof the partition portion 55 and the partition portion 57, and similarlythe outlets 50 and 51 on the side of the partition portions 55 and 57.

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the cooled partitions 20 ₁, 20 ₂, 20 ₃, and20 ₄ of module bays 30 outside of the rack system 10 and providesanother illustration of the module bay 65. Each cooled partition mayhave the same functionality as described in FIG. 4 with respect tocooled partition 59. Each cooled partition is physically connected bythe coolant pipe 61 and the coolant pipe 63, which provide system widecoolant flow between all cooled partitions within the rack system 10. Aswith the cooling partition 59 of FIG. 4, in another embodiment thecooled partitions 20 ₁, 20 ₂, 20 ₃, and 20 ₄ may have an additionalcoolant outlet 51 and coolant inlet 53 and associated piping similar tocoolant pipes 61 and 63. In other embodiments, the configuration of theinlets and outlets may vary depending on the desired coolant flowdesign. For example, the two inlets may be on opposite diagonal cornersor on the same side depending on the embodiment designed to, such asincluding partition portions, etc., as discussed above with reference toFIG. 4.

In one embodiment, the bottom and top surfaces of the cooled partitions20 ₁, 20 ₂, 20 ₃, and 20 ₄ are heat conductive surfaces. Because coolantflows between these surfaces they are suited to conduct heat away fromany fixture or apparatus placed in proximity to or in contact witheither the top or bottom surface of the cooled partitions, such as thesurfaces of cooled partitions 20 ₂ and 20 ₃ of module bay 65. In variousembodiments, the heat conductive surfaces may be composed of many heatconductive materials known in the art, such as aluminum alloy, copper,etc. In another embodiment, the heat conductive surfaces may be amixture of heat conducting materials and insulators, which may bespecifically configured to concentrate the conductive cooling tospecific areas of the apparatus near or in proximity to the heatconductive surface.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are each embodiments of a module fixture 70 that mayinclude circuit cards and components that make up a functional module ina service unit, such as the four processing modules 32 insertable intothe module bay 65 as discussed with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. Themodule fixture 70 includes thermal plates 71 and 72, fasteners 73,tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂, component 75, connector 76, connector 77, andcomponent boards 78 and 79.

In one embodiment, the component boards 78 and 79 are a multi-layeredprinted circuit board (PCB) and are configured to include connectors,nodes and components, such as component 75, to form a functionalcircuit. In various embodiments, the component board 78 and thecomponent board 79 may have the same or different layouts andfunctionality. The component boards 78 and 79 may include the connector77 and the connector 76, respectively, to provide input and output via aconnection to the backplane (e.g., cluster unit backplane 38) throughpins or other connector types known in the art. Component 75 is merelyan example component and it can be appreciated that a component boardmay include many various size, shape, and functional components thatstill may receive the unique benefits of the cooling, networking, powerand form factor of the rack system 10.

The component board 78 may be mounted to the thermal plate 71 usingfasteners 73 and, as discussed below, will be in thermal contact with atleast one and preferably two cooled partitions when installed into therack system 10. In one embodiment, the fasteners 73 have a built instandoff that permits the boards' components (e.g., component 75) to bein close enough proximity to the thermal plate 71 to create a thermalcoupling between the component 75 and at least a partial thermalcoupling to the component board 78. In one embodiment the componentboard 79 is opposite to and facing the component board 78 and may bemounted and thermally coupled to the thermal plate 72 in a similarfashion as component board 78 to thermal plate 71.

Because of the thermal coupling of the thermal plates 71 and 72—whichare cooled by the cooling partitions of the rack system 10—and thecomponents of the attached boards, (e.g., component board 78 andcomponent 75) there is no need to attach a heat-dissipating component,such as a heat sink, to the components. This allows the module fixture70 to have a low profile permitting a higher density or number of modulefixtures, components, and functionality in a single rack system, such asthe rack system 10 and in particular the portion that is the universalhardware platform 21.

In another embodiment, if a component height is sufficiently higher thananother component mounted on the same component board, the lower heightcomponent may not have a sufficient thermal coupling to the thermalplate for proper cooling. In this case, the lower height component mayinclude a heat-dissipating component to ensure an adequate thermalcoupling to the thermal plate.

In one embodiment, the thermal coupling of the thermal plates 71 and 72of the module fixture 70 is based on direct contact of each thermalplate to their respective cooled partitions, such as the module bay 65which include cooled partitions 20 ₃ and 20 ₄ shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5above. To facilitate the direct contact, thermal plates 71 and 72 mayeach connect to an end of a tensioning device, such as tensioners 74 ₁and 74 ₂. In one embodiment, the tensioners are positioned on each sideand near the edges of the thermal plates 71 and 72. For example,tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂ may be springs in an uncompressed stateresulting in a module fixture height h₁, as shown in FIG. 6, where h₁ islarger than the height of the module bay 65 including cooled partitions20 ₃ and 20 ₄.

FIG. 7 illustrates the module fixture 70 when the thermal plates 71 and72 are compressed towards each other to a height of h₂, where h₂ is lessthan or equal to the height or distance between the cooled partitions 20₃ and 20 ₄ of the module bay 65. Thus, when the module fixture isinserted into the module bay 65 there is an outward force 80 and anoutward force 81 created by the compressed tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂.These outward forces provide a physical and thermal contact between thecooled partitions 20 ₃ and 20 ₄ and the thermal plates 71 and 72. Ascoolant flows through each partition, as described with respect to FIG.5, it conductively cools the boards and components of the module fixture70.

The tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂ may be of any type of spring or materialthat provides a force creating contact between the thermal plates andthe cooling partitions. The tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂ may be locatedanywhere between the thermal plates 71 and 72, including the corners,the edges or the middle, and have no limit on how much they may compressor uncompress. For example, the difference between h₁ and h₂ may be assmall as a few millimeters or as large as several centimeters. In otherembodiments, the tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂ may pass through the mountedcomponent boards or be between and couple to the component boards or anycombination thereof. The tensioners may be affixed to the thermal platesor boards by any fastening hardware, such as screws, pins, clips, etc.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are embodiments of the module fixture 70 from a side viewin a compressed and uncompressed state respectively. As shown in FIGS. 6and 7 the connectors 76 and 77 do not overlap, and in this embodiment,are on different sides as seen from the back plane view. FIGS. 8 and 9further illustrate the connectors 76 and 77 extend out from the edge ofthe thermal plates 71 and 72 such that they may overlap the thermalplates when the module fixture 70 is compressed down to the height ofh₂. For example, the connector 76 of the bottom component board 79, whencompressed, is relatively flush with the thermal plate 71 on top and theconnector 77 of the top component board 78 is relatively flush with thethermal plate 72 on the bottom. In this particular embodiment, theconnectors 76 and 77 will determine the minimum h₂, or in other wordshow much the fixture 70 may be compressed. The smaller the fixture 70may be compressed the smaller the pitch (P) may be between coolingpartitions and the higher the density of functional components per racksystem, and specifically the universal hardware platform 21 portion ofthe rack system 10.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are each embodiments of a module fixture 89 for a rackpower board insertable into the rack power section 19 of the rack system10. The module fixture 89 includes a thermal plates 87 and 88, fasteners83, tensioners 84 ₁ and 84 ₂, component 85, connector 86, and componentboard 82.

Thus, in a similar way as described above with respect to the modulefixture 70 in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the module fixture is inserted into amodule bay in the rack power section 19 there is an outward force 90 andan outward force 91 created by the compressed tensioners 84 ₁ and 84 ₂.These outward forces provide a physical and thermal contact between thecooled partitions of the rack power section 19 and the thermal plates 87and 88. Therefore, the component board 82 and components (e.g.,component 85) of the module fixture 89 are conductively cooled ascoolant flows through the relevant cooled partitions.

In some embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 6 to 11, the thermalplates (e.g., thermal plates 71 and 72 and thermal plates 87 and 88) maybe comprised of unitary structures made from heat conducting materials(e.g., aluminum alloys, copper, etc.). However, in some alternativeembodiments, thermal plates may be provided from a combination ofcomponents. In this regard, for example, some embodiments may providethermal plates that include a frame and a heat exchanger coupled to theframe. FIG. 12, which includes FIGS. 12A and 12B, shows an example of athermal plate 100 that includes a frame 102 and a heat exchanger insert104.

FIG. 12A illustrates a top view of the thermal plate 100. Meanwhile,FIG. 12B illustrates a cross section of the thermal plate 100 takenalong line 106-106′. The frame 102 may be constructed to extend aroundthe perimeter of the heat exchanger insert 104 to provide a supportplatform 108 to support edges of the heat exchanger insert 104, whileenabling a large portion of the surface area of the heat exchangerinsert 104 to come into contact with a cooling shelf 110 of a coolingpartition (e.g., cooling partition 59) to facilitate heat transfer. Insome embodiments, although the frame 102 may be rigidly constructed, theheat exchanger insert 104 may be made from a flexible material such thatthe heat exchanger insert 104 may be bowed outward with respect to aninner side of the thermal plate 100, which may be proximate tocomponents of a module fixture (e.g., components of a component unitincluding a component board upon which components are mounted). The heatexchanger insert 104 may be any material or structure that is conduciveto conducting heat in an efficient manner. Thus, for example, in somecases, the heat exchanger insert 104 may be embodied as a flat heatpipe.

The bowing, which is illustrated in FIG. 12B, may provide a contact biasbetween an outer surface of the thermal plate 100 and the cooling shelf110. The contact bias may enable a majority of the heat exchanger insert104 to be in contact with the cooling shelf 110 to increase heattransfer away from components of the module fixture for removal viathermal coupling with the cooling shelf 110. In some embodiments, athermal conducting filler material may be placed between components ofthe module fixture and the heat exchanger insert 104 to furtherfacilitate heat transfer away from the components. Moreover, whether acomponent side or non-component side of the component board of thecomponent unit is proximate to the heat exchanger insert 104, the heatexchanger insert 104 may efficiently remove heat from the componentunit.

Although the thermal plate 100 of FIG. 12 includes a single heatexchanger insert 104, multiple heat exchanger inserts may be provided inalternative embodiments. FIG. 13, which includes FIGS. 13A and 13B,shows an example of a thermal plate 120 having a frame 122 includingmultiple insert receptacles for supporting a corresponding number ofheat exchanger inserts 124 to illustrate such an alternative embodiment.The multiple insert receptacles may take the form substantially of awindow frame structure where each of the “window panes” correspond toheat exchanger inserts 124. In this regard, FIG. 13A illustrates a topview of the thermal plate 120. Meanwhile, FIG. 13B illustrates a crosssection of the thermal plate 120 taken along line 126-126′. The frame122 may be constructed such that the insert receptacles extend aroundthe perimeter of each respective one the heat exchanger inserts 124 toprovide a support platform 128 to support edges of the heat exchangerinserts 124, while enabling a large portion of the surface area of theheat exchanger inserts 124 to come into contact with a cooling shelf 130of a cooling partition (e.g., cooling partition 59) to facilitate heattransfer.

Similar to the embodiment above, the frame 122 may be rigidlyconstructed and the heat exchanger inserts 124 may be made from aflexible material such that the heat exchanger inserts 124 may be bowedoutward with respect to an inner side of the thermal plate 120. Theinner side of the thermal plate 120 may be proximate to components of amodule fixture and may be thermally coupled to the components via athermal conducting filler as described above. However, in someembodiments, the components may be mounted to the frame 122 and heat maybe passed from the frame to the heat exchanger inserts 124 so that theheat exchanger inserts 124 act as a heat spreader to more efficientlydissipate heat away from the components.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the bowing of the heat exchanger inserts 124 mayprovide a contact bias between an outer surface of the thermal plate 120and the cooling shelf 130. The contact bias may enable a majority of theheat exchanger inserts 124 to be in contact with the cooling shelf 130to increase heat transfer away from components of the module fixture forremoval via thermal coupling with the cooling shelf 130. Moreover,whether a component side or non-component side of the component board ofthe component unit is proximate to the heat exchanger inserts 124, theheat exchanger inserts 124 may efficiently remove heat from thecomponent unit.

In an exemplary embodiment the module fixture 89 of FIGS. 10 and 11 orthe module fixture 70 of FIGS. 6 to 10 may be inserted into one of thebays (e.g., module bay 65) of FIG. 5. The tensioners (e.g., tensioners84 ₁ and 84 ₂ of FIGS. 10 and 11 or tensioners 74 ₁ and 74 ₂ of FIGS. 6to 10, respectively) may bias thermal plates associated with eachrespective module fixture outward to initiate contact between thecorresponding thermal plates and the corresponding sides of each cooledpartition (e.g., cooled partition 59) of the bays. The cooling providedto the cooled partition 59 may be provided by virtue of passing coolant(e.g., a refrigerant, water, and/or the like) from the coolant inlet 49to the coolant outlet 50. However, in an alternative embodiment, airflowmay be allowed to pass (or forced) through the bays as is shown in FIG.14.

In any case, some exemplary embodiments may provide for mechanisms bywhich to provide efficient heat removal from module fixtures in a racksystem capable of supporting a plurality of processing components.Accordingly, a relatively large capacity for reliable computing may beprovided and supported in a relatively small area due to the ability toefficiently cool the electrical components within the rack system.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described withreference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident thatvarious modifications and changes may be made to these embodimentswithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separate embodiment.

1. A module for insertion between a first shelf and a second shelf of arack based processing system, the module comprising: a first thermalplate substantially parallel to a second thermal plate, an inner surfaceof the first thermal plate facing an inner surface of the second plateand an outer surface of each of the first and second thermal platesfacing opposite to the respective inner surfaces; and each thermal plateconfigured to thermally couple to one or more component units locatablebetween the inner surfaces of the first and second thermal plates. 2.The module of claim 1, wherein the one or more component units areaffixed to at least one of the inner surfaces of the first and thesecond thermal plates.
 3. The module of claim 1, wherein a componentunit has a component side and a non-component side, and the innersurface of at least one of the first thermal plate and the secondthermal plate is configured to thermally couple to at least one of thecomponent side and the non-component side of the component unit.
 4. Themodule of claim 3, wherein the component side of the component unitincludes a heat transfer device configured to transfer heat from thenon-component side of the component unit.
 5. The module of claim 1,wherein, when inserted between the first shelf and the second shelf ofthe rack based processing system, the module is configured to transferheat away from the first and second thermal plates via a cooling sourcecoupled to the first shelf and the second shelf.
 6. The module of claim1, comprising one or more tensioning units coupled to and locatablebetween the first and second thermal plates, the one or more tensioningunits configured to provide a contact bias between the outer surface ofeach thermal plate and a corresponding one of the first shelf or thesecond shelf when inserted into the rack based processing system.
 7. Themodule of claim 6, wherein the one or more tensioning units are springs.8. The module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and secondthermal plates comprises a frame and a heat exchanger coupled to theframe.
 9. The module of claim 8, wherein the frame comprises multipleinsert receptacles, each of which is configured to receive acorresponding one of a plurality of heat exchanger inserts.
 10. Themodule of claim 8, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a flat heatpipe.
 11. The module of claim 8, wherein the frame is rigid and the heatexchanger is flexible.
 12. The module of claim 11, wherein the flexibleheat exchanger is configured to bow such that the outer surface of thefirst and the second thermal plate is bowed outward with respect to theinner surface, and wherein outwardly bowed surfaces of each thermalplate when inserted between the first shelf and the second shelf of therack based processing system provide a contact bias between the outersurface of each thermal plate and a corresponding one of the first shelfand the second shelf and provide thermal coupling between the flexibleheat exchanger and at least one of the component units.
 13. The moduleof claim 1, including a thermal conducting filler between the one ormore component units and the inner surface of at least one of the firstthermal plate and the second thermal plate.
 14. A conduction coolingapparatus for a rack based processing system, the apparatus comprising:a frame including a module insertion area on a first side of the rack; aplurality of shelves within the frame and coupled to a coolant source,each shelf having a first surface and a second surface and configured topermit coolant flow between the first and second surfaces, the pluralityof shelves being positioned substantially parallel to each other andsubstantially perpendicular to a plane of the first side of the rack; aplurality of bays, each bay defined by a volume of space betweenadjacent ones of the plurality of shelves; and a module unit configuredto be inserted into a bay of the plurality of bays, the module unitincluding: a first thermal plate substantially parallel to a secondthermal plate, an inner surface of the first thermal plate facing aninner surface of the second plate and an outer surface of each of thefirst and second thermal plates facing opposite to the respective innersurfaces; and each thermal plate configured to thermally couple to oneor more component units locatable between the inner surfaces of eachthermal plate.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a component unithas a component side and a non-component side, and the inner surface ofat least one of the first thermal plate and the second thermal plate isconfigured to thermally couple to at least one of the component side andthe non-component side of the component unit.
 16. The apparatus of claim14, comprising one or more tensioning units coupled to and locatablebetween the first and second thermal plates, the one or more tensioningunits configured to provide a contact bias between the outer surface ofeach thermal plate and a respective one of the first shelf and thesecond shelf when the module unit is inserted into the rack basedprocessing system.
 17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least oneof the first and second thermal plates comprises a frame and a heatexchanger coupled to the frame.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe frame is rigid and the heat exchanger is flexible.
 19. A method ofcooling one or more component units in a frame of a rack basedprocessing system, the method comprising: providing coolant to aplurality of shelves coupled within the frame, wherein each shelfincludes a first surface and a second surface, the coolant flowingbetween the first and the second surfaces; and cooling the one or morecomponent units coupled to a module unit inserted between a first shelfand a second shelf, wherein each module unit includes a first platesubstantially parallel to a second plate and the one or more componentunits locatable between each parallel plate providing a thermal couplingof the one or more component units to at least one of the first shelfand the second shelf.
 20. The method of claim 18, including connectingthe rack based processing system to a building chiller unit to providethe coolant.